Jane Doe
One reason many active dating women adored Sex and the City was the use of subtle dating nuances woven into the show that never seemed to have been captured before on the small screen. Amid the high fashion and Manolo Bhalniks, were those little dating behaviors found across the country and other parts of the world.
One such phenomenon is that women will use nicknames when referring to men they are dating. Obviously Carrie's Mr. Big had a first name, but we did not know what it was until the very last scene of the series.
What's in a Name?
When I found myself single again after a number of years in a long term relationship, I dated a lot of men, eager to discover what type of man was more suited to my new found independence. I soon started telling my friends about the men whom I had met, and it did not take long to start referring to them, not by their common name, but by what they did. It was especially important to distinguish the men with the same first names, i.e. Mike1, Mike 2, Mike3, which happened to be the same name as my Ex. Come to think of it, the term "Ex" is used quite a bit in our North American culture. But "divorcing" yourself from the man as well as his name is a topic for a whole other discussion.
Over the years the list grew to include such monikors as Cowboy, Fireman, Teacher, Big Guy, Drummer, Actor, Sailor, The Boy, CEO, The Stud. There are also nicknames of men based on where they lived, as in Cleveland, Beaches, San Francisco. Some men, though, did always seem to be referred to by their common first names, especially with those dreamy soap opera or romance novel names, like Bret or Ridge.
I had not given much thought at just how common the practice is, even after watching the show, until a new acquaintance of mine asked about a new guy I was seeing, and even went as far as offering to help come up with name for him. In this case, she decided on Blue Eyes, based on his picture. So now it is "what ever happened to Blue Eyes?" It is seems that these code words is a shorthand method for girlfriends to keep on top of each other's dating lives. Certainly, mothers and other inquiring relatives have always relied on this method of keeping suitors straight in their minds. Referring to a man's occupation or distinguishing characteristic just seems logical. Now that big city living, and technology advances like the internet, bring more singles together in closer proximity there are more names to keep straight.
And guys, if you make the list it is because we like you so can be sure that the name we choose is going to be flattering. And Girls? Where did I meet all this men? A mixture of connections through friends, family, my profession, but don't discount a good online dating site to uncover a great guy you might not have otherwise met in your daily life.
LINKS TO RELATED SITES
The Book-Sex and the City
The Show-Sex and the City: Season 6 Part 2
Sex and the City Episode Guide
LINKS TO RELATED ARTICLES
The Fire Fighter Competition
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